The Year 1972 in Review: Fun Facts, Trivia, and Historic Highlights

This quick read is a collection of fun facts, trivia, and historic events from the year 1972. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, entertainment trivia, and much more.

1. In 1972, platform shoes, shag carpeting, and Star Wars were all on center stage. Swedish meatballs and Black Forest cake were crowd-pleasers, and Michael and Jennifer were two of the most popular baby names. In 1972 as well, the words "alternative medicine," "cardio," "cash cow," "gentrify," "munchkin," "quality point average," "track lighting," and "user-friendly" all appeared in print for the first time.
2. Why was 1972 the longest year in history? According to EarthMagazine.org, 1972 was a leap year, which meant that it already had 24 extra hours. Next, 1972 also included two "leap seconds." One leap second was added to the clock on June 30, and the other one was added on December 31.
3. Richard Nixon was the 37th president of the United States, and Spiro Agnew was the nation’s vice president.
4. Average annual income in the U.S.: $11,800
5. Average cost of a new home: $27,550
6. Average monthly rent: $165.00
7. Inflation rate: 3.27 percent
8. Unemployment rate: 5.2 percent
9. On January 9, British coal miners began a national strike, the first one in over 50 years.
10. On January 9, the retired Queen Elizabeth passenger liner burned and sank during retrofitting in Hong Kong's harbor.
11. On Bloody Sunday (January 30), 26 civilians were shot by British paratroopers during a protest march in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
12. On February 4, Mariner 9, a robotic spacecraft, sent spectacular photos of the "deeply pitted Martian landscape" back to Earth.
13. On March 22, the Equal Rights Amendment, "designed to guarantee protection against sexual discrimination for women, passed both houses of Congress and was sent to the individual states for ratification." (By 1977, the legislatures of 35 U.S. states had approved the amendment.)
14. From April 1 to 13, the 1972 Major League Baseball strike took place and was the first players' strike in MLB history. Baseball resumed after owners and players agreed to a $500,000 increase in pension fund payments. (As a result of the MLB strike, a total of 86 games were lost.)
15. At the 44th Academy Awards on April 10, The French Connection won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
16. At the 24th Primetime Emmy Awards on May 6, All in the Family (CBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Elizabeth R (PBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.
17. On May 26, President Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev jointly signed the SALT I Treaty. The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) "curtailed the manufacture of strategic missiles that were capable of carrying nuclear weapons."
18. On June 12, the first Popeyes restaurant opened in Arabi, Louisiana. Today, Popeyes has nearly 4,000 locations in 46 states.
19. On June 17, the Watergate scandal began to unfold when five White House staffers "were arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee."
20. On June 28, President Nixon announced that no new draftees would be sent to Vietnam.
21. On July 17, Joanne Pierce Misko and Susan Roley Malone both began training to become the first female special agents for the FBI.
22. On August 12, the last ground troops were withdrawn from Vietnam.
23. On November 7, in the 1972 presidential election, Republican President Richard M. Nixon defeated Democratic Senator George McGovern. Nixon carried 49 states, a phenomenon that has only occurred one other time in U.S. political history. (Just so you know, McGovern's two “electoral vote victories” were in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.)
24. On December 31, the U.S. ban on the pesticide DDT went into effect.
25. In 1972, the 15,007,034th Volkswagen Beetle came off the assembly line, breaking "a world car production record held for more than four decades by the Ford Motor Company's iconic Model T, which was in production from 1908 to 1937."
26. United Airlines launched the first frequent flyer program. Members received plaques and promotional offers as gifts.
27. The Godfather was the most popular film, All in the Family was the most popular TV show, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull was the most popular fiction book.
28. American companies and brands established in 1972 were Atari, Inc., Burlington Stores, Carnival Cruises, Half Price Books, HBO, Hobby Lobby, Meineke Car Care Centers, Nutrisystem weight loss products, Public Storage, and Popeyes restaurants.
29. Consumer products launched in 1972 included Cottonelle bathroom tissue, Egg Beaters, the Egg McMuffin, Jovan Musk, Mr. Coffee, Nike Cortez running shoes, the Pong video game, Shoe Goo, Snapple tea and juice drinks, and Stove Top stuffing.
30. Here are some more sports facts from 1972: The Oakland Athletics won the World Series, the Dallas Cowboys were the Super Bowl champs, and the Boston Bruins clinched the Stanley Cup. In addition, Bob Douglas became the first African American to be elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
31. Apples (McIntosh): 47 cents for a three-pound bag
32. Baby food (Gerber's): 10 cents for a 4.5-ounce jar
33. Bread: 33 cents for a one-pound loaf
34. Butter: 75 cents for a one-pound package
35. Cereal (Total): 40 cents for a 16-ounce box
36. Cola (Pepsi): 69 cents for one six-pack of 12-ounce cans
37. Cookies (Nabisco Fig Newtons): 39 cents for a one-pound package
38. Eggs: 39 cents a dozen
39. Grapefruit: 10 cents apiece
40. Mayonnaise (Kraft): 64 cents for a quart jar
41. Milk: 89 cents a gallon
42. Onions (yellow): Nine cents a pound
43. Oranges (Florida): 10 oranges for 55 cents
44. Potatoes: 59 cents for a five-pound bag
45. Preserves (Welch's grape jelly): 39 cents for a 20-ounce jar
46. Soup (Campbell's tomato): 10 cents for a 10.75-ounce can
47. Strawberries: Three pints for $1.00
48. Sweet corn: Five cents an ear
49. Sugar: 50 cents for a five-pound bag
50. Vanilla ice cream: $1.29 a gallon

References:

1. https://popculturemadness.com/1972-history-trivia-and-fun-facts/
2. https://www.infoplease.com/year/1972
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_in_the_United_States
4. https://www.aarp.org/money/personal-finance/prices-compared-to-50-years-ago/
5. https://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1972.htm
6. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/died-1972.php
7. https://bestlifeonline.com/1970s-slang-terms/
8. https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/most-popular-recipes-1970s/
9. https://www.partygameideas.com/1972-trivia-facts-news-what-happened-in-1972/
10. https://www.mclib.info/Research/Local-History-Genealogy/Historic-Prices/Historic-Prices-1970s/Historic-Prices-1972
11. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1972
12. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1972

Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor